Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 9
Since May 8, rumours were doing the rounds on social media about “a special chartered flight” which had been granted permission to land at Dimapur Airport on May 9. Speculations revolved around whether the flight would be carrying "essential goods, trained medical professionals or just rich stranded Nagas.”
However, government officials dismissed the claim stating that no such flight had been authorized, and in the event of any flight landing, it would be informed beforehand.
“At present GOI is only bringing stranded Indians by flight and stranded migrant workers by trains to respective states. In respect of air travel except for medical flight and intra-state movement of state aircraft there is no such clearance for chartered flight,” Dimapur Airport Director Mughavi Zhimo told The Morung Express.
It was also learnt that there were no flights scheduled to land in Dimapur Airport on May 9 and 10.
In medical cases, ambulance flights have been authorized by the government. These flights can carry only the patient and few attendants, he informed. However, there were no official intimation about any air ambulance landing in Dimapur Airport either, he added.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on April 15 permitted medical evacuation flights by charter operation only after ‘explicit permission of the government.’
Some on social media were also quick to observe an ‘increased activity’ and hectic preparations in Circuit House, Dimapur, linking it to the alleged arrival of people from the chartered flight.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Dimapur, V Lovitoly Sema explained that the activity in Circuit House Dimapur is not due to any special arrangement. Requisitioned quarantined centres, including the Circuit House, are all being prepared to accommodate people when and if required, the ADC told The Morung Express.
No official information has been received yet regarding such ‘special’ arrangements for receiving stranded people by chartered flight, she added.
Another airport official said that if the rumour was at all true, the flight would have landed by now. “Any flight landing in the Dimapur Airport would not go unnoticed,” he said.
According to the rumour, the special chartered flight was supposed to land at Dimapur Airport on May 9. However, no flight arrived on the said date.
By day end, social media was rife with speculations that the flight could have been cancelled, delayed or may have landed in another location at another time.
